Top questions

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What’s the difference between Office 365 subscription plans and Office as a one-time purchase?

With Office 365 subscription plans you get the fully installed Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook,
Publisher, and Access (Publisher and Access are available on PC only). You can install Office 365 across multiple devices,
including PCs, Macs, Android™ tablets, Android phones, iPad®, and iPhone®. In addition, with Office 365 you
get services like online storage with OneDrive for home use, and advanced Outlook.com security. When you
have an active Office 365 subscription, you always have the most up-to-date version of the Office applications.
Learn more about Office 365.

Office as a one-time purchase includes applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for use on a single PC or Mac.
The applications are not automatically updated; to get the latest version, you must purchase Office again when the new
version becomes available. Current Office application versions available for one-time purchase are Office 2016 for Windows
and Mac. Previous versions include
Office 2013, Office 2011 for Mac,
Office 2010,
Office 2007, Office 2008 for Mac, and Office 2004 for Mac. Office 2010 and Office 2007 are compatible with Windows 8.1
and earlier. Office as a one-time purchase does not include any of the services included in Office 365.
Learn more about the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016.

How do I know my PC or Mac can run Office?

The current version of Office supports PCs running Windows 7 or later and Macs running Mac OS X 10.10 or later for Office 2016 for Mac. For more information, including requirements for iPad® and Android™ tablets, view full system requirements.

Will Office be identical on a PC, a Mac, and a mobile device?

No. Office applications are tailored to work best on each platform
and device. The Office applications available for Mac users and
the version numbers may be different from those available for
PC users.

Can people with an earlier version of Office open documents I created using Office 365 or Office 2016?

Office 2007, Office for Mac 2008, Office 2010, Office for Mac 2011,
Office 365, Office 2013, and Office 2016 applications
can open your documents without any additional action. Customers
using earlier versions of Office may need to download and
install a compatibility pack.

Do I keep control of my documents with an Office 365 subscription?

Is Internet access required for Office?

Internet access is required to install and activate all the latest
releases of Office suites and all Office 365 subscription
plans. For Office 365 plans, Internet access is also needed
to manage your subscription account, for example to install Office
on other PCs or to change billing options. Internet access is
also required to access documents stored on OneDrive, unless
you install the
OneDrive desktop app. You should also connect to the Internet regularly
to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic
upgrades. If you do not connect to the Internet at least every
31 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality
mode, which means that you can view or print your documents,
but cannot edit the documents or create new ones. To reactivate
your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet.

You do not need to be connected to the Internet to use the Office applications,
such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, because the applications
are fully installed on your computer.

What is a Microsoft account and why do I need it to try or buy Office?

Your Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and password
that you use to sign in to services like Hotmail, OneDrive, Windows
Phone, Xbox LIVE, and Outlook.com. If you use any of these services,
you already have a Microsoft account that you can use, or you
can create a new account.
Learn more about a Microsoft account. As part of signing up for a trial or purchasing
Office, you will be prompted to sign in with a Microsoft account.
You must be signed in with this account to install and manage
your Office software, or to use some subscription benefits, including
OneDrive storage.

What is the maximum number of Office licenses I can activate using the same Microsoft account?

Users can activate 1 subscription for Office 365 Home and Office 365
Personal and up to 25 licenses for Office Home & Student
2016, Office Home & Business 2016, and Office Professional
2016.

About Office trials

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Can I try Office before I buy?

Yes. You can sign up to try Office 365 Home for free for a month
on the
Office website. (Note that a credit card is required for the free
trial.) The trial gives you access to all the features of
Office 365 Home. It includes:

The payment method you provide will be automatically charged
at the end of your first free month to ensure that you
do not experience any interruptions with your service.
You can cancel online without penalty before your trial
ends, by visiting
www.office.com/myaccount and turning off auto-renew in the payment
and billing area.

How do I cancel my trial before it ends?

If you signed up for the trial via the
Office website, visit the
Microsoft Account site and turn off auto-renew. With this approach,
the trial will automatically expire when your month is finished
and your credit card will not be charged.

If you signed up for the trial by clicking an icon on your new PC,
your trial ends automatically after a month; it isn’t necessary
to cancel it. When the trial ends, you’ll be prompted to choose
which version of Office you want to purchase.

What happens when my trial ends?

It depends on how you signed up for the trial:

If you signed up via the
Office website, and if auto-renew is enabled on the
Microsoft Account site, your service will continue uninterrupted
and your payment method will be automatically charged at
the end of the trial, and then monthly thereafter. You
do not need to re-install Office.

If you signed up by clicking an icon on your new PC, your trial
ends automatically after a month; it isn’t necessary to
cancel it. When the trial ends, you’ll be prompted to choose
which version of Office you want to purchase.

Can I sign up for another trial with a different subscription?

Not immediately. For example, if you had a trial of Office 365
Personal, you can’t sign up for a trial of Office 365 Home.
However, one year after your trial or paid subscription ends,
you can sign up for a new trial.

Product keys, redemption, and activation

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I purchased Office. Where can I go to set up my account and install Office?

What is a Product Key and where do I find it?

A Product Key is a unique 25-character alpha-numeric code used to redeem
and activate your Office product. You cannot use a product key
for an older Office product (or a different product) to redeem
your new copy of Office.

To find your Product Key, look for the 25-character alpha-numeric code
on the back of the card inside your Office product packaging.
Sometimes the Product Key may be printed on your retail receipt.
If you purchased Office from a PC manufacturer, your Product
Key will be located somewhere in your PC packaging. Sample Product
Key format: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Do I need to keep my Product Key?

After you associate your Product Key to your Microsoft account, you
can sign in to
www.office.com/myaccount to install and manage Office. But it's a good
idea to keep your Product Key in a secure location as proof of
purchase or to help our support agents trace your product.

Should I use my existing Microsoft account or create a new one?

It's best to use your existing Microsoft account. If you use other
Microsoft products or services (e.g. Xbox, OneDrive, Outlook.com,
MSN or Bing), you may already have a Microsoft account and won’t
need to create a new one. If you forgot your username or password,
recover those details by returning to sign in and clicking on
Can't access your account?

What happens if I buy or redeem multiple Office 365 subscriptions?

Your Microsoft account can have only one subscription associated with
it. If you use the same Microsoft account to buy or redeem multiple
Office 365 subscriptions, you extend the amount of time
for your subscription, up to a maximum of 5 years. Note that
doing so does not increase the number of devices you can install
Office on or increase the amount of online storage that is available
with the subscription.
Learn more about adding another Office 365 home subscription plan to your account.

Language support for Office

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Which Office products are available in my country/region?

Office 365 plans are available in
most countries/regions. In countries/regions where Office 365 plans
are not available, you can still buy an Office 2016 suite. When
buying Office 365, it’s important that you select the country/region
in which you will be billed and in which you’ll use the software.
Selecting a different country/region may cause problems with
subscription setup and renewal.

For which languages is Office available?

Office is available in the languages listed below. Not all languages
are available in all countries/regions.

About OneDrive

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What is OneDrive?

OneDrive is an online storage service that you can use to store documents,
notes, photos, music, videos, or other types of files. With OneDrive
you can access your files from nearly any device and you can
share them with others.
Sign up for OneDrive.

How much OneDrive storage do I get with Office 365?

The amount of additional storage that you get depends on your subscription:

Customers with an active Office 365 Personal or Office 365
University subscription receive an additional 1 TB of OneDrive
storage per subscription.

Customers with an active Office 365 Home subscription receive
an additional 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user, for up
to 5 users. Each additional user must have their own Microsoft
account and be added to the
Microsoft Account site.

The additional storage is applied to the OneDrive account that is linked
to the Microsoft account used to create the Office 365 subscription.
For Office 365 Home, the storage is tied to the Microsoft
accounts of the household members who have been added to the
subscription.

Are my documents stored in OneDrive also available offline?

Yes. If you’re using Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, OneDrive is preinstalled.
To access your documents when you’re not connected to the Internet,
open File Explorer on your PC and go to the OneDrive folder.
When you reconnect, OneDrive updates the online versions with
changes you made offline.

You can also download and install OneDrive on
Windows 7, Windows Vista, or on your
Mac. The OneDrive app creates a folder that automatically
syncs between OneDrive and your computer, so you can work on
your documents—even when you’re offline.

What happens to the files I stored in OneDrive if my subscription expires?

If you cancel your subscription or if it expires, you can still access
and download all your files by signing in to OneDrive directly
using the Microsoft account you used to set up Office 365.
You do lose the additional storage that comes with your subscription,
so you must save your files elsewhere or buy more OneDrive storage
if your OneDrive account exceeds the free storage quota.

I deactivated the subscription sharing for a household member. What happens to the documents they stored in OneDrive?

They lose the additional OneDrive storage, but they can still access
and download all files. If their OneDrive account exceeds the
free storage quota, they'll need to save files elsewhere
or buy more OneDrive storage.

Office 365 University

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What is Office 365 University?

Office 365 University is a four-year subscription for full- and part-time
enrolled university and college students, faculty, and staff
in accredited institutions. Alumni of these institutions are
ineligible.

Office 365 University will be available in each of the countries/regions
listed as the new Office is released in that country/region.

Download and install Office

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How do I install Office?

To install Office 365 or Office as a one-time purchase, visit
www.office.com/myaccount on the PC or Mac that you want to install Office
on. Sign in with the Microsoft account that you used to purchase,
or have already associated, with the subscription or one-time
purchase product, and then follow the onscreen instructions to
install Office. Learn more about
how to install Office.

I have several Office 2016 or 2013 (one-time purchase) installations under the same Microsoft account and I need to reinstall one of them. What do I do?

How many devices can I install Office on if I have an Office 365 Personal or Home subscription?

Office 365 Personal subscribers can install Office on 1 PC or Mac,
1 tablet, and 1 smartphone for one user. Office 365 Home subscribers
can install Office on up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, and 5 smartphones
for up to five users within their household. You can count hybrid
Windows devices, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro, as either
a PC or a tablet.

Can I install Office on my Mac?

Yes. You can purchase Office 365 subscriptions for both Mac and Windows.
Office Home & Business 2016 or
Office Home & Student 2016
are also available for Mac as a one-time purchase. Office applications available for a Mac are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook,
and OneNote. The Publisher and Access applications are not available
for Mac. Current Office application versions for Office 365 and
Office 2016 are available for both Windows and Mac.

Can I install Office on a PC that already has an older version of Office on it?

How do I access my applications after I've installed Office?

Icons for Office applications are created when you install Office.
You can start the applications by clicking the icons, which are
installed in the following locations:

Windows

Windows 7: Start menu

Windows 8: Start screen and Apps view (the view under the
Start screen that includes all apps installed on
a PC)*

Windows 8.1: Apps view*
*If you cannot find your icons in Windows 8 or Windows
8.1, go to the Start screen and type the name of
the application you want to launch (for example,
Word).

Windows 10: Start menu. You can also type the name of the application you want to launch (for example, Word) in Cortana.

You can also pin an application shortcut to your
Start screen or your desktop taskbar for convenient
access.
Learn more.

Mac OS X

10.6 (Snow Leopard): Dock

10.7 (Lion): Dock and Launchpad

10.8 (Mountain Lion): Dock and Launchpad

10.9 (Mavericks): Dock and Launchpad

10.10 (Yosemite): You can start the applications by clicking
the application icons which can be found in the Launchpad
and Applications folder in Finder.

Should I install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office?

The 32-bit version of Office is installed by default.

Even if your computer is running a 64-bit version of Windows, we recommend
that you install the 32-bit version of Office, because it is
more compatible with the applications and add-ins that work with
Office. If you do want to install the 64-bit version of Office,
you can do so by visiting
www.office.com/myaccount and following the onscreen instructions to install
the 64-bit version. It is not possible to install both the 64-bit
version and 32-bit versions of Office on the same computer.

How can I change which devices have Office 365 installed?

If you have installed Office on the maximum number of PCs, Macs, or
tablets and want to use Office on a different device, you can
deactivate a device by visiting
www.office.com/myaccount, after which you can install Office on a new device.
The copy of Office on the device you deactivated will revert
to read-only mode, which means documents can be viewed but not
edited. You will not lose any documents that are saved locally
on the original device.

How do I uninstall Office?

To uninstall Office, first visit
www.office.com/myaccount and follow the onscreen instructions to deactivate
Office. Deactivating Office leaves the Office applications on
your PC in read-only mode, which means that you can view documents
but can't edit or save them, and you can’t create new documents.
To remove Office entirely, go to your PC's Control Panel
and uninstall Office. For Mac, iPad, and Android tablets, follow
the instructions on that device to uninstall an application.

How do I make sure I always have the latest Office applications?

Office 365 customers with an active subscription always get the
newest versions of the Office applications when they are available.
When we release a new version of Office, you will be notified
that you have the option to update your software to the latest
version.

I have Office for Mac 2011 as part of my Office 365 subscription. How do I get the latest version of Office for Mac?

The latest version, Office 2016 for Mac, is now available to Office 365
subscribers as part of your subscription. To install Office 2016
for Mac, go to
http://office.com/myaccount and follow the instructions there.

Managing your Office 365 subscription

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How do I manage my Office 365 subscription?

To manage your billing information, install or remove Office from additional
PCs or Macs, and manage your installations of Office on other
devices at any time, visit
www.office.com/myaccount.

When does my subscription start?

If you purchased an auto-renew subscription, your subscription starts
when you complete your purchase. Auto-renew subscriptions may
be purchased from Office365.com, MicrosoftStore.com, the iTunes®
Store, and some other retailers. If you purchased a pre-paid
subscription, your subscription starts when you activate your
subscription and land on your My Account page. Pre-paid subscriptions
may be purchased from a retailer or reseller, or a Microsoft
support agent.

Can I share my subscription benefits with members of my household?

If you have an active Office 365 Home subscription, you can share
it with up to four members of your household. Each household
member you share your subscription with can use any of your available
installs on their PCs, Macs, iPads, Android tablets, Windows
tablets, iPhones®, or Android phones, get an additional
1 TB of OneDrive storage, and manage their own installs from
www.office.com/myaccount.

To add someone to your subscription, visit
www.office.com/myaccount and follow the onscreen instructions to add a user.
Each person you add will receive an email with the steps they
need to follow. Once they have accepted and completed the steps,
their information, including the installs they are using, will
appear on your My Account page. You can stop sharing your subscription
with someone or remove a device they are using at
www.office.com/myaccount.

What happens when I convert my subscription from Office 365 Home to Office 365 Personal or to Office 365 University?

Your Microsoft account can only have one active subscription. If you
activate your Office 365 Personal or Office 365 University
subscription before your Office 365 Home subscription expires,
the remaining time on your Office 365 Home subscription
will be converted to the Office 365 Personal or Office 365
University subscription (whichever you have chosen). However,
you will only be allowed to install Office on as many devices
as your new subscription plan allows for—1 PC or Mac, plus 1
tablet and 1 phone for Office 365 Personal, and up to 2
PCs, Macs, or tablets, plus 2 phones for Office 365 University.
You will immediately lose the Office 365 Home benefits of
installing Office on up to 5 PCs and/or Macs, 5 tablets, and
5 phones. You may choose to wait until your Office 365 Home
subscription expires before activating your Office 365 Personal
or Office 365 University subscription so you do not lose
installs.

What happens when I convert my subscription from Office 365 University to Office 365 Personal?

Your Microsoft account can have only one active subscription. If you
activate your Office 365 Personal subscription before your
Office 365 University subscription expires, the remaining
time on your Office 365 University subscription will be
converted to Office 365 Personal. However, you will be allowed
to install Office on only as many devices as your new subscription
plan allows for—1 PC or Mac, plus 1 tablet and 1 phone for Office 365
Personal. You may choose to wait until your Office 365 University
subscription expires before activating your Office 365 Personal
so you do not lose installs.

Why can’t I have both an Office 365 Home subscription and an Office 365 Personal or Office 365 University subscription?

Your Microsoft account can have only one active subscription. You can
either convert your Office 365 Home subscription to Office 365
Personal or Office 365 University, or you can wait until
your current subscription expires before activating your Office 365
Personal or Office 365 University subscription.

What happens when my subscription ends? How can I continue to work with my documents?

As the expiration date approaches, you will receive notifications in
the Office applications and via email, alerting you to the upcoming
expiration. If you choose to let your subscription expire, the
Office software applications enter read-only mode, which means
that you can view or print documents, but you can’t create new
documents or edit existing documents.

To return to full Office functionality, you can purchase a new version
of Office by visiting
www.office365.com or any participating retailer. You could also return
to full functionality using an older version of Office, or you
can use Office Online for free for basic editing.

Renewals, cancellations, and billing

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Will I be notified before I’m charged?

You will be notified before you’re charged when it’s time to renew an annual subscription. If you are signed up for a monthly
subscription, your payment will be automatically debited each
month and you won’t be notified in advance. You can change your
payment method or cancel your subscription at any time by visiting
the
Microsoft Account site and signing in with the Microsoft account that
you used to buy Office.

How do I renew my Office 365 subscription?

You have a few options for renewing. Regardless of the option you choose,
be sure to renew using the same Microsoft account that you used
when setting up your subscription.

If auto-renew is enabled for your subscription, it will renew
automatically. Your auto-renew setting is shown on the
Microsoft Account site
after you sign in with the Microsoft account that you used to buy Office.

If auto-renew is not enabled, visit
www.office.com/renew to purchase an Office 365 auto-renew
subscription. The additional time will be automatically
added to the remaining time on your existing subscription.

To renew through the retailer that you purchased Office 365
from, return to that retailer and purchase another pre-paid
one-year subscription. Follow the setup instructions included
in the packaging – they are the same for setting up a new
subscription. The additional year will be automatically
added to the remaining time on your existing subscription.

Will I keep my remaining subscription time if I renew early?

Yes. When you renew early to the same Office 365 plan that you
already have, the additional time is added to your existing subscription.
For example, if you have two months left on your current subscription
to Office 365 Home and you renew for one year (12 months),
your subscription will run for 14 months.

How do I cancel my Office 365 auto-renew subscription?

If you purchased an auto-renew subscription from Microsoft via
MicrosoftStore.com or Office365.com, you have two options
for cancelling:

You can cancel online by visiting the
Microsoft Account site, signing in with the Microsoft
account that you used to buy Office, and then
turning off auto-renew. With this approach,
your subscription will automatically expire
when your remaining subscription time is up.

To cancel immediately, contact Microsoft support
and request an immediate cancellation.

If you purchased an auto-renew subscription from Apple via the
iTunes Store, you will need to cancel your subscription
with Apple.
Learn more.

If you purchased an auto-renew subscription from another retailer,
you may have to cancel your subscription with that retailer.
You can confirm this by visiting the
Microsoft Account site.

What billing options do I have for my Office 365 subscription?

Auto-renew is the simplest way to ensure continued service. You can
set up monthly or annual auto-renew by visiting the
Microsoft Account site.

If you have a monthly subscription you can save money by converting
it to an annual subscription at the
Microsoft Account site.